Rotary engine having axially sliding vanes

ABSTRACT

An internal combustion engine has a stator with an interior cylindrical surface symmetrical about an axis. A rotor within the stator is rotatable about the axis and has a pair of axially sinuous, peripheral channels open to the cylindrical surface. Annular flat plates in the stator extend radially into the channels dividing them into pockets. Axial movable vanes are disposed in the channels and in gaps in the plates. A combustible inlet port opens into one channel and an exhaust gas outlet port opens into the other channel. A combustion chamber having an ignition device has ducts leading to one stator opening adapted as the rotor revolves alternately to open into one channel and to be covered by the rotor and leading to another stator opening adapted as the rotor revolves alternately to open into the other channel and to be covered by the rotor.

United States Patent Williams 1 ROTARY ENGINE HAVING AXIALLY SLIDING VANES Beniamin F. Williams, Douglas, Ariz [75] Inventor:

US. Cl. 123/823, l23/8.4l Int. Cl. F02b 53/00 Field of Search 123/823, 8.41;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1923 Collier l23/8.41 X 9/1931 Barreaux et al. 2/1932 Tyler l23/8.4l

Primary Examiner- A1 Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-Michael Koczo, Jr. Attorney-Marcus Lothrop et a1.

[ 1 Dec. 25, 1973 ABSTRACT An internal combustion engine has a stator with an interior cylindrical surface symmetrical about an axis. A rotor within the stator is rotatable about the axis and has a pair of axially sinuous, peripheral channels open to the cylindrical surface. Annular flat plates in the stator extend radially into the channels dividing them into pockets. Axial movable vanes are disposed in the channels and in gaps in the plates. A combustible inlet port opens into one channel and an exhaust gas outlet port opens into the other channel. A combustion chamber having an ignition device has ducts leading to one stator opening adapted as the rotor revolves alternately to open into one channel and to be covered by the rotor and leading to another stator opening adapted as the rotor revolves alternately to open into the other channel and to be covered by the rotor.

11 Claims, 19 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUEBZSISYS sum 1 are 3780.709

PATENTED UEEZ 51973 SHEET '& 0f 9 PATENTEU UECZ 51873 3.780.709 saw a or 9 ROTARY ENGINE HAVING AXIALLY SLIDING VANES There is an increasing need and requirement for internal combustion engines to be reduced in volume and complexity while furnishing power in a reliable and satisfactory manner.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a generally improved internal combustion engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an engine having most of its moving parts rotating rather than reciprocating.

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine which can take advantage of recently improved techniques in lubrication, sealing devices and the like.

Another objectof the invention is to provide an engine that is quite compact for its displacement and power output.

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine in which the parts are easily manufactured and assembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide an engine capable of operating on the standard four stroke cycle while employing largely rotating components.

Other objects of the invention together with the foregoing are attained in the embodiment of the invention described in the accompanying description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an engine constructed in accordance with the invention, certain portions being broken away;

FIG. 2 is an exterior elevation of an end housing or stator cap;

FIG. 3 is an interior elevation of the housing or stator cap of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the housing or stator cap of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section through the stator cap, the planes of section being indicated by the lines 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section, the plane which is indicated by the line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a developed view of the periphery of the rotor; and

FIGS. 8 to 19 inclusive are developments showing diagrammatically the relationship of the stator and of the rotor in arbitrary, successive positions of relative rotation thereof.

The engine pursuant to the invention can be embodied in a number of different ways and has a mechanical relationship to the pump shown in my copending US. Pat. application entitled Positive Displacement Machine Such As A Pump" Ser. No. 280,944 filed Aug. 16, 1972. This engine can be embodied to operate on the injection or Diesel cycle or to operate'on the induction or Otto cycle. It is conveniently described herein as it has been embodied in a relatively small form for operation on the induction cycle. In this arrangement there is provided on a suitable base mount 6 a stator 7 including a central housing 8 and end caps 9 and 11, all together defining an enclosure. The enclosure is made up in this instance of a number of separate plates held together by through bolts 12 and together defining an interior circular-cylindrical, carefully machined surface 13. At its ends the surface 13 is augmented by interior, planar, side surfaces 14 and 16 on end plates 17 and 18 included in the stator.

The end plates carry bearings 19 and 21 suitably mounted in the stator and supporting a shaft 22 for rotation about an axis 23 about which the surface 13 is symmetrical. Mounted on the shaft is a rotor 26 having an external peripheral surface 27 that is circularcylindrical and is designed to run very close to the surface 13.

Extending around the periphery of the rotor are two channels 28 and 29 defined in part by the interior circular-cylindrical surface 13 of the stator and otherwise defined by side walls 31 and 32 and a bottom wall 33 so that at any one radial cross-section, the channels are substantially rectangular and preferably are square. The configuration of the channels is, as particularly shown in FIG. 7, a sinuous one since the channels have offset straight portions which merge by means of reversely curved intervening portions. The channels are in a general way parallel to each other but are displaced from each other a number of degrees in a peripheral direction.

Included in the stator is a pair of annular flat plates 36 and 37 clamped by the bolts 12 and of sufficient radial extent to extend into grooves 38 and 39 in the rotor. The plates are in position to intercept the undulatory or sinuous portions of their respective channels 28 and 29, as indicated by the dotted lines 41 in FIG. 7.

The plates 36 and 37 have peripheral gaps therein (as shown in FIG. 3) defined by curved walls 47 and 48. Disposed in each one of the gaps so defined is a vane 51 having a curved configuration in end elevation, as seen in FIG. 3, and being substantially flat in side elevation. Each vane is of a length to fit closely between the gap walls 47 and 48 and is of a width to fit closely within the respective one of the channels 28 and 29 in which it is disposed. The vanes can receive sealing or packing bars (not shown) of the kind recently developed for the Wankel engine.

Since the channels are sinuous, upon rotation of the rotor the vanes 51 are moved or swung from side to side or to and fro with a substantial axial component. Each end cap 9 and 11, which is internally machined to continue the circular-cylindrical interior surface 13, is likewise machined to afford a pair of recesses 52 to receive the adjacent oscillating vanes 51. Each vane substantially fills its respective gap in the plate 36 or 37 and also substantially fills the cross-section of its channel 28 or 29 so that the various pockets 42 and 43 as well as 44 and 46 are each isolated and separated from the other pockets as the device rotates. The contained volume of each pocket between its inclined walls 31 and the next adjacent vane 51 is subject to contraction and expansion as the rotor revolves.

Advantage is taken of the variable volume of the pockets to induce the timed flow of a combustible into one ofthe pockets. For this reason there is provided in each of the end caps an inlet port 56 piercing the surface 13 at a particular peripheral location in the stator and having sufficient axial extent to be available to the channel or pockets on both sides of the plate 36. Since the present arrangement affords a plurality of peripheral pockets in the rotor, there are diametrically opposed inlet ports 56 in both of the opposite-end caps 9 and 11. These are conveniently connected by communicating passages 57 with an intake manifold 58 (FIG. 1.) leading to a flange 59 on which a standard aspirating carburetor (not shown) is mounted. In the event the engine is to operate on'the Diesel cycle, the carburetor is omitted and a simple air cleaner is provided instead. The position of the inlet port 56 is symmetrical and almost immediately adjacent to the downstream side (in the direction of rotation) of both vanes in the channel 28, as shown by the arrow 61 in FIG. 8.

In a somewhat similar fashion, means are provided for releasing or exhausting spent gas from the engine. Opening into each of the end caps 9 and 11 at the ends of a rotor diameter are outlet ports 62. These are disposed on the upstream side of and immediately adjacent to some of the vanes 51, available to the pockets formed by the channel 29. The outlet ports 62 in the end caps lead to ducts 63 opening directly to the atmosphere or to an exhaust system, not shown.

Particularly in accordance with the invention, means are provided for receiving compressed combustible mixture, from the pockets in one of the channels 28, for igniting the combustible mixture and for transferring such mixture to the pockets in the other channel 29, all in proper sequence. For that reason each of the end caps 9 and 11 is provided with a pair of combustion chambers 66 and 67 extending axially but at an inclination so that one opening 68 at one end opens into one of the channels 28 on one side of the plate 36 and an opening 69 at the other end opens into the channel 29 on the corresponding side of the plate 37 in the channel 29. Similarly, the other combustion chamber 67 has an opening 7 I leading into the pockets on the other side of the plate 36 in the channel 28 and joins an opening 72 leadinginto the pockets on the other side of the plate 37 in the channel 29. The combustion chambers are inclined so that, generally speaking, when one of the openings 68 or 71 is in communication with a subjacent pocket, the other opening 69 or 72 is blocked by the stator surface 13.

Each of the combustion chambers in each of the caps is provided with an opening 73 to receive an ignition device 74 (FIG. 1). Conveniently, the shaft 22 drives an ignition shaft 76 (FIG. 1) operating an ignition timer and distributor of the usual sort (not shown). Should the engine operate on the Diesel cycle, the spark plugs are replaced by fuel injectors and the ignition timer is replaced by a fuel injection timing pump.

In the actual operation of this engine, a number of functions proceed simultaneously since a plurality of pockets are provided. Nevertheless, the description proceeds on the basis of but a single pocket at a time in order that a single charge can be followed for a complete cycle.

As particularly shown in FIG. 8, the rotor is in a position so that one of the vanes 51 adjacent one of the inlet ports 56 substantially occupies the channel 28 in a position to define a pocket 42. This pocket is in full communication with the inlet port. Since the rotor is traveling in the direction of the arrow 61, the pocket 42 is expanding or enlarging. This causes the induction of a combustible through the port 56 into the pocket. The pocket continues to advance, as shown in FIG. 9, having therein moved far enough so that the inlet 56 is no longer open to the pocket 42 now isolated by the next successive vane 51.

As the rotor continues to move, the pocket 42 is reduced in volume and compression takes place within the pocket itself and also into an adjacent combustion chamber 66 through the opening 68, which is at this position freely open to the pocket 42. At the same time the other opening 69 of the combustion chamber-6.6 is

blocked by the adjacent surface of the rotor. Consequently, as the rotor continues to revolve the contents of the chamber .42 are compressed into and trapped within the combustion chamber 66. This is illustrated in FIG. 10 wherein the pocket 42 is just about to advance far enough to cut off the opening 68 and completely trap the compressed mixture. FIG. 11 shows the position of the parts in which the pocket 42 has been cut off from the combustion chamber after the pocket has been substantially emptied of compressed charge and in which the combustion chamber 66 is filled with combustible mixture in compressed form with both of its openings 68 and 69 sealed against the rotor.

At this time the ignition device 74 is properly fired to explode the confined, compressed combustible mixture. As anticipated in the FIG. 11 showing and as shown in FIG. 12, one of the pockets 44 in the channel 29 has advanced sufficiently to uncover the opening 69 while the opening 68 remains closed. This means that the ignited combustible mixture can flow into the pocket 44, and since the gas is at a high temperature and pressure due to combustion, the gas tends to expand against the walls of the pocket 44 as well as against the adjacent vane 51. This gives a rotating impulse to the rotor in an effective fashion.

The rotor continues to revolve, as shown in FIG. 13, with the pocket 44 continuing to expand and the gas exerting propulsive force until the pocket begins to uncover an outlet port 62. This permits the expanded gas from the pocket 44 to flow out through the port 62 to 4 the atmosphere or to the exhaust device, thus dropping the pressure in and largely exhausting the pocket 44. As the rotor continues to turn, the pocket 44 continues to contract so that the exhaust gas is positively displaced from the pocket through the outlet 62, the adjacent downstream vane 51 acting as a barrier.

At about this time, as shown in FIG. 14, the other pocket 43 in the channel 28 is expanding downstream of its vane 51 and in registry with the inlet port 56. Consequently, the pocket 43 in expanding induces combustible mixture to flow into it. The pocket 43 continues to enlarge, against the next, downstream vane 51, as shown in FIG. 15. As soon as the pocket 43 is no longer open to the inlet 56 the trapped combustible mixture is compressed against the downstream vane 51. As the rotor turns, the pocket 43 then opens into the opening 71 of the other combustion chamber 67. The other opening 72 of the combustion chamber 67 is blocked by the face of the rotor so that the combustible mixture being discharged into and compressed in the combustion chamber is trapped.

A little later than the time illustrated in FIG. 16, the pocket 43 has advanced to the right, as seen in that figure, sufficiently far as to displace virtually all of its combustible mixture into the combustion chamber 67, with the curved trailing wall of the pocket 43 passing over the opening 71 and cutting it off. When that occurs ignition takes place and the trapped compressed mixture is exploded. At about this time a pocket 46 in the channel 29 traverses its upstream vane 51 and overrides and uncovers the opening 72. The combustible mixture from the combustion chamber 67 then expands through the opening 72 into the pocket 46 and continues to expand. This imparts a propulsive force to the rotor by exerting pressure against the curved wall of the channel and against the trailing vane 51. i

The expansion continues, as shown in FIG. 18, until the rotor has advanced nearly as far as the position illustrated in FIG. 19, in which case the rotor has blanked off the opening 72. The pocket 46 consequently contains only mixture discharging through the exhaust port 62. As the rotor continues to revolve, the exhaust gas in the pocket 46 is positively expelled so that the pocket is empty and is available for the next cycle.

Pursuant to the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that each of the pockets such as 42 and 43 in the channel 28 is alternately used for the induction stroke and for the compression stroke and each of the pockets 44 and 46 in the channel 29 is alternately used for the expansion or power stroke and for the positive exhaust stroke.

Each pocket repeats its function a plurality of times during the successive rotations of the rotor. With this arrangement, consequently, there is afforded a fourstroke cycle engine which operates on an almost pure rotary principle with only the vanes partaking of an oscillatory or to and fro motion. A number of power impulses are afforded for each rotation of the rotor and since the device is substantially symmetrical, the power impulses are even.

The engine develops a good deal of heat in its operation. It can be water cooled, if desired, but in the present small engine, it is preferred to provide some cooling fins 81 on each of the end caps 9 and 11 and likewise to provide air passages 82 in the stator end plates and air passages 83 through the rotor. A fan 84 on the shaft 22 impells cooling air to flow through the operating mechanism.

What is claimed is:

1. An engine comprising a stator having an interior circular-cylindrical surface symmetrical about an axis, a shaft, means for supporting said shaft in said stator for rotation about said axis, a rotor fixed on said shaft, means in said rotor defining a pair of axially sinuous peripheral channels open to said surface, a pair of annular flat plates fixed in said stator and extending into said channels, said plates having gap walls defining circumferential gaps therein, vanes disposed in and spanning said channels and mounted in said gaps to move axially to-and-fro, means defining an inlet port opening into one of said channels on opposite sides of said plate therein and adjacent one of said vanes, means defining an outlet port opening into the other of said channels on opposite sides of said plate therein and adjacent another of said vanes, means defining a combustion chamber, and means establishing ducts leading from said combustion chamber to one opening in said stator in position to be uncovered by one of said sinuous channels as said rotor revolves and leading to another opening in said stator in position to be uncovered by the other of said sinuous channels as said rotor revolves.

2. An engine as in claim 1 in which said'channels are divided into pockets by said plates and said openings are disposed to open into a pocket in one of said channels while being blocked by said rotor adjacent the other of said channels.

3. An engine as in claim 1 in which each of said vanes is pivotally mounted in the plane of a respective one of said plates.

4. An engine as in claim 1 in which said rotor has means defining peripheral grooves open to said channels and said plates extend into said grooves.

5. An engine as in claim 1 in which said vanes are moved axially to-and-fro by engagement with the side walls of said sinuous channels as said rotor revolves.

6. An engine as in claim 1 in which said vanes have end walls substantially engaging said gap walls of said plates.

7. An engine as in claim 1 including ignition means in said combustion chamber.

8. An engine as in claim 2 in which, during rotation of said rotor, combustible material flowing into one pocket in one channel is compressed therein, is transferred in compressed condition to said combustion chamber and ignited therein, is then transferred in ignited condition to another pocket in the other channel and is expanded therein, and then is released from said other pocket.

9. An engine as in claim 1 in which said ports and said openings are in said stator interior cylindrical surface.

10. An engine as in claim 1 in which each of said sinuous channels defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced similar pockets.

11. An engine as in claim 1 including means defining passages through said stator and said rotor, and a fan on said shaft for inducing air to flow through said passages. 

1. An engine comprising a stator having an interior circularcylindrical surface symmetrical about an axis, a shaft, means for supporting said shaft in said stator for rotation about said axis, a rotor fixed on said shaft, means in said rotor defining a pair of axially sinuous peripheral channels open to said surface, a pair of annular flat plates fixed in said stator and extending into said channels, said plates having gap walls defining circumferential gaps therein, vanes disposed in and spanning said channels and mounted in said gaps to move axially to-and-fro, means defining an inlet port opening into one of said channels on opposite sides of said plate therein and adjacent one of said vanes, means defining an outlet port opening into the other of said channels on opposite sides of said plate therein and adjacent another of said vanes, means defining a combustion chamber, and means establishing ducts leading from said combustion chamber to one opening in said stator in position to be uncovered by one of said sinuous channels as said rotor revolves and leading to another opening in said stator in position to be uncovered by the other of said sinuous channels as said rotor revolves.
 2. An engine as in claim 1 in which said channels are divided into pockets by said plates and said openings are disposed to open into a pocket in one of said channels while being blocked by said rotor adjacent the other of said channels.
 3. An engine as in claim 1 in which each of said vanes is pivotally mounted in the plane of a respective one of said plates.
 4. An engine as in claim 1 in which said rotor has means defining peripheral grooves open to said channels and said plates extend into said grooves.
 5. An engine as in claim 1 in which said vanes are moved axially to-and-fro by engagement with the side walls of said sinuous channels as said rotor revolves.
 6. An engine as in claim 1 in which said vanes have end walls substantially engaging said gap walls of said plates.
 7. An engine as in claim 1 including ignition means in said combustion chamber.
 8. An engine as in claim 2 in which, during rotation of said rotor, combustible material flowing into one pocket in one channel is compressed therein, is transferred in compressed condition to said combustion chamber and ignited therein, is then transferred in ignited condition to another pocket in the other channel and is expanded therein, and then is released from said other pocket.
 9. An engine as in claim 1 in which said ports and said openings are in said stator interior cylindrical surface.
 10. An engine as in claim 1 in which each of said sinuous channels defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced similar pockets.
 11. An engine as in claim 1 including means defining passages through said stator and said rotor, and a fan on said shaft for inducing air to flow through said passages. 